Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/761

 ARMENIAN CHURCH 725 the Armenian bishops, though they also anath- ematized Eutyches, while they strenuously maintained the formula of one nature in Christ. The Armenian church has been therefore anath- ematized as heretical by both the Greek and Roman churches. The Armenians agree with the Greeks in maintaining the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father only, and in most other doctrines ; but they make the sign of the cross with two fingers (in reference to the two natures made one in Christ's person), while the Greeks make this sign with three fingers (in reference to the Trinity). They baptize in- fants (or adults converted from Judaism or other religion), like the Greeks, by partially immers- ing them in the font and then thrice pouring water on their heads ; but, unlike the Greeks, they admit to their communion Roman Catho- lics or Protestants who have been baptized by sprinkling. Like the Roman Catholics, they believe in transubstantiation, adore the host in the mass, and profess belief in seven sacra- ments; but their prayers of extreme unction are mingled with those of confirmation, which is performed by the priest at baptism, and they reject the Roman purgatory, though they pray for the dead. The people have the commu- nion in both kinds, the broken bread or wafer (unleavened) being dipped in undiluted wine and laid on the tongue of the fasting commu- nicant. They worship saints and their pictures as well as the cross ; insist on the perpetual virginity of Mary ; maintain baptismal regen- eration and the spiritual efficacy of penances and sacraments ; and regard confession to the priest and absolution as essential to salvation ; but absolution is not purchased, nor are in- dulgences given. They have 165 fast days, when no animal food can be eaten ; 14 great feast days, observed more strictly than the Lord's day ; and more minor feasts than days of the year. Their church services are performed in the ancient Armenian language. They have nine grades or orders of clergy, viz. : the catho- licos, bishop, priest, deacon, subdeacon, porter, reader, exorcist, and candle lighter. The monks live according to the rule of St. Basil. There are no regular lay monks among them. The prin- cipal Basilian convent is at Etchmiadzin. There are two grades among the priests: the varta- beds (doctors or teachers), who must remain unmarried, and are again subdivided into two classes; and the parish priests, who must be married before attaining the rank of subdeacon. The bishops are generally elected from the var- tabeds, and only in rare instances, by special dispensation of the catholicos or patriarch, from the monks. The metropolitans or archbishops are distinguished from the bishops only by a higher rank and certain honorary rights, but not by superior jurisdiction. At the head of the entire hierarchy is the catholicos; he re- sides in the convent of Etchmiadzin, in the province of Erivan, which since 1828 has been under the rule of Russia. His authority as head of the entire church is recognized by all Arme- nians except the adherents of the patriarch of Aghtamar on Lake Van, who since the 12th century has claimed the title of catholicos, but is recognized only by two towns and 30 vil- lages, and had in the second half of the 17th century eight or nine bishops under his juris- diction. Besides the patriarch of Aghtamar, the Armenian church has patriarchs at Sis, Constantinople, and Jerusalem, all of whom ac- knowledge the higher ecclesiastical rank of the catholicos of Etchmiadzin. The patriarchate of Sis embraces the churches of Armenia Minor, Cappadocia, and Cilicia, under the jurisdiction of about 23 bishops. The patriarchate of Je- rusalem embraces the pashalics of Damascus, Acra, and Tripolis, and the island of Cyprus, and has 14 suffragan bishops. The patriarch of Constantinople has been since 1461 the civil head of all the Armenians in Turkey, and under his direct ecclesiastical jurisdiction are all the dioceses of Turkey, except those belonging to the patriarchates of Sis and Jerusalem. Ac- cording to the reorganization agreed upon by the provincial council of Constantinople in 1830, the patriarchate of Constantinople embraces 18 archiepiscopal dioceses, with 35 suffragan bish- ops. One of the archbishops resides in Egypt. The patriarch of Constantinople, who takes rank with the great pashas of the empire, is elected by the ecclesiastical heads and the no- tables of the Armenian community in Constan- tinople. The notables were till 1839 chiefly wealthy bankers ; but since then high officials of the Turkish government have obtained the ascendancy. Though of an inferior rank to the catholicos, the patriarch of Constantinople is in all other respects entirely independent, and even the name of the catholicos is no longer mentioned in the liturgical books used in Con- stantinople. Under the direct jurisdiction of the catholicos are the Armenians of Russia and Persia. In the former country the Ar- menian churches are by a ukase of 1836 divided into six dioceses (archbishoprics), with eight suffragan bishoprics or vicariates. Per- sia has an archbishop at Ispahan, with a suffra- gan bishop at Calcutta in India ; and an arch- bishop at Tabreez with two suffragan bishops. The catholicos is at present elected by his synod, all the members of which reside at Etchmiadzin, and the election must be con- firmed by the Russian government. The entire population connected with the Armenian church is estimated at about 3,000,000. The United Armenians, also called Armeno-Catholics, are those who acknowledge the supremacy of the pope of Rome. As early as 1318 Pope John XXII. appointed a Dominican monk to be their archbishop at Soldania in Persian Armenia (afterward at Nakhichevan). At the council of Florence (1439) a nominal union between the Roman and Armenian churches was ef- fected, but it was not ratified. For centuries, however, there have been Armenians in Per- sia, Poland, Transylvania, Turkey, &c., ac- knowledging the pope and agreeing doctrinally